Anybody using one of these for 4X5 film processing?

[nsurit]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...%3DI%26otn%3D2

If so, are you pleased with it. I'm just on the edge getting ready to jump and am interested in something that is easy and produces good results. Bill Barber

[David William White]

Looks frighteningly complicated.

[rjbuzzclick]

It seems like a lot of chemical for six sheets of film. I can do four 4x5 sheets in a Bessler color drum with 200ml of solution. I finally found a motor base for it, but up until now have just been rolling it back an forth on a 2x4 with great results. I also have a Yankee tank that will do 12 sheets (24 if you put them in back to back), but have not used it yet.

[Ian Grant]

There's another thread, they should work, the seller made them first for his own use. That's no more developer than a similar Jobo tank, I use a litre of Pyrocat per 6 sheets.

Send him an email & ask for happy customer recommendations.

Ian

[Mike Wilde]

Looks like a combiplan holder adapted to a Paterson tank. The question to me is why.

I am lucky enough to have about 8- 4x5 hanger holders, and a pair of tanks. One will hold 6 hangers and has a daylight light trap cover.

I guess this thing would allow you to load the holder and then do the rest in a daylight tank. It sort of implies that you are shooting 4x5 and developing your own film without access to a darkroom, which seems a strange combination to me. The thought of loading such a holder and getting it into a tank in a changing bag seems to leave a lot to get snagged on something along the way.

[photoncatcher]

I have a Nikor adjustable tank for sheet film in my basement. It consists of an adjustable spiral cage that can be set from approx. 4 inches to 2 1/4 inches. I never used it, but I'm sure my Dad did for his 2 1/4, 3 1/4 speed graphic film. Appears that the film is slid into the sprirals, and a steel band is wrapped around the cage to secure it, and then the cage is placed in the tank, and processed normaly. If anyone has use for it, I could certainly use a few extra bucks. PM me and we can work something out.

[Ian Grant]

The why is because in the UK the Paterson tanks predominate

Ian

[FiatluX]

If you already have a Paterson 3 reel tank and you changed to 4X5 recently, I can see the point! Doesn´t look that hard to load and its certainly cheaper than a new Combiplan tank @ £85 which can be fiddly to load too on a bad day..

[nsurit]

I do have a darkroom and many years ago when in college used film holder and a deep tank. I currently am paying a bit more attention to the volume of chemistry which requires disposal. Not sure this is the answer and it could be. I'm on septic. Bill Barber

[steven_e007]

All credit to him, looks like a good idea.

I have recently tried to find a alternative way to process 5 X 4 (I've been using a Doran tank - (similar to a yankee) It is the invention of the Devil!!! Infernal contraption, a pig to load, takes ages to fill and empty. I ruined several good shots last batch because you just can't agitate it properly, it gives horrendous flow marks ...)

I've lost two ebeegeeby auctions for Combi T tanks that went for huge money - and two auctions for Paterson orbitel processors that went for about four times what they probably cost new :-o

This guy seems to have a good idea at a much better price than a combi (which is nearly £90 new in the UK)...

Ah, but I've got some perspex sheet in the garage, and now I've seen how to make one...